Lore

Patrons

The Hidden King

The stretching shadow of a skyscraper... a boarded-up apartment in Hell's Kitchen... The Hidden King exists in the cracks of the city, waiting for his followers to usher him into the light.

Old Gods, New Blood

The herald

• I speak for the Hidden King, and today I shall be your guide.

• You seek answers, detective. Summon the King, and he will provide them.

• Miss Shelly is counting on you, Bebop. Only you can save her.

• Your brother is in trouble, Paige, but while your words could not save him, today your actions can. Summon the Hidden King.

• The King will be so happy to see you again, Doorman.

• Venator, I know you have no love for the Hidden King, but the Archmother is a tyrant! And together, we can usurp her!

The Archmother

Glass, steel and stone... Order and power where once there was none... The Archmother has always guided the founders' hands, and now it is time for them to welcome her home.

Old Gods, New Blood

The herald

• You honor the Guided Hand by standing with us today.

• Detective Abrams. Only the Archmother can relieve you of the Tome. Summon her, and be free.

• Miss Shelly's life is in your hands, Bebop… summon The Archmother, and she can be saved.

• Holliday. Your grandfather casts a long shadow... but you can still make him proud. Summon the Archmother and she will help you find justice.

• The Archmother looks forward to your... reunion.

• I know you hate the Archmother, Warden, but today she is not your enemy… she is the path that will lead you to destroying The Hidden King once and for all.

The New York Oracle

• Once, an eclipse changed the world! Who knows what today's celestial event will bring?

• For decades, contact with The Patrons has not only been impossible, but forbidden. But with the Maelstrom upon us, that may change! What does the future hold? Only time will tell!

• The orders of The Amber Hand and Sapphire Flame have long provided safeguards insuring that The Patrons remain on their home plane. But have the people we trusted to be wardens of The Patrons secretly been planning a coup?

• While most of New York remains huddled in their apartments, 12 individuals seek to make contact with The Patron.

• Tensions mount as fonts of power all over the city are being tapped in an attempt to contact a powerful extra planar being known only as The Patron.

• The OSIC has issued a warning to the city of New York recommending that citizens stay indoors for the duration of the celestial event.

• As the maelstrom rages on, The New York Oracle is proud to bring you live ritual coverage.

• This just in! A city-wide ritual has commenced!

Quotes

• How exciting to see City Mother and the Amber King once more!

• The Patrons have waited centuries to be summoned, they can wait a little longer.

• The Patrons will herald the end of humanity if we let them.

• This year, when the celestial alignment begins, mystic energy will be at its apex.

• It will likely be 50 years before there's another maelstrom. Do you really want to wait that long before you try to harness the power of a god?

Heroes

World

Haunts, landmarks and the Broker, from Valve’s City Never Sleeps update.

The Broker

Haunts

• Specimen

  Some call it magic, others call it science. It doesn’t matter what you call it when it’s a disembodied hand crawling on your kitchen floor in the middle of the night.

• Gutter Ghouls

  All those dark and dirty thoughts that humanity would prefer buried and thrown away, given form.

• Barrel Mimics

  Gunpowder was originally invented while on the search for an elixir of immortality. The spirits seem to make good use of both.

• Past Dues

  A good story can bring respite in trying times. For those less inspired, the pages of a book may serve better as a sleep aid.

• Stage Hands

  Graceful bodies floating across the stage can be mesmerizing. In such a historic theater, one couldn’t be blamed for wanting to leave their bloody mark all the way across the deck.

• Crabbage Pots

  People always tell you there’s something in the water whenever anything bad happens. There’s a ritual going on outside. Something’s in the water.

• Festival Spirit

  Souls are kindled with hopes and dreams of the wishes they may light into day. You never think about how some of those hopes and dreams are violent and want to kill you.

• Shrooms

  New York is a melting pot of families from across the globe. It just so happens that when you combine a family of fungi and demonic energy at high temperature, it starts to walk.

• Underhands

  Grasping hands always find their ways into unexpecting pockets. While the ritual burns high in the sky, some decrepit souls can’t help but stay low.

The city

Broadway, Greenwich and York are the city’s main lanes. Four districts lie between them: Theater, Chinatown, Haunted Lot and Plaza.

• Uptown

  Our first stop on the tour. If you need to get going somewhere, this is your quickest route to where the action is.

• Times Square

  The beating heart of the city. Everyone should see it at least once in their life, and hopefully not just this once.

• Downtown

  The busiest stop in town. Citizens of the Cursed Apple have been reporting strange rumblings coming from deep beneath the subway line.

• Umbria University

  Home to the nation's finest Bibliomancy program, Umbria offers an elite occult education.

• Central Park

  300 years old and still growing. This aptly named Hangman’s Elm has been in the city longer than almost any other living creature.

• The Brownstones

  Visit the Brownstones for some quality family time, and if you’re lucky, a history lesson worth not repeating.

• Stock Exchange

  See the high-stakes financial playground where the warlocks of Wall Street ply their trade making trades.

• Seaport Dock

  Preserving New York City’s maritime heritage hasn’t quite been the same since this vessel docked at Pier 16.

• Old Fairfax Factories

  The beating heart of the Occult Industrial Complex comes from humble beginnings.

• Sunken Plaza

  Sunken Plaza lies beneath the main square in the Plaza district.

• Bell Tower

  The Bell Tower stands in Chinatown.